professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
from
Shizuoka
Shizuoka can refer to:
* Shizuoka Prefecture, a Japanese prefecture
* Shizuoka (city), the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture
* Shizuoka Airport
* Shizuoka Domain, the name from 1868 to 1871 for Sunpu Domain, a predecessor of Shizuoka Prefecture
...
. He currently works in
Pro Wrestling Zero1
(stylized as Pro Wrestling ZERO1), formerly known as Pro Wrestling Zero-One and Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max (stylised in all capital letters) and often referred to simply as Zero1, is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 2001. I ...
(Zero1) as Sugi (stylized in all capital letters), but he has used many aliases, most commonly Yoshitsune and Sugi, through his career in many Japanese promotions. He is mainly known for his high-flying abilities.
Career
Toryumon (2002–2004)
Immediately after graduating in the 11th Toryumon school class term, Sugi debuted in 2003 in
Toryumon Mexico Toryumon or Tōryūmon may refer to:
*Toryumon (Último Dragón)
is a professional wrestling promotion that operated in Japan until 2004 and in Mexico, where it's called Toryumon Mexico. The promotion is owned and operated by Yoshihiro Asai, who ...
, moving to the Toryumon X brand shortly after. He went under the
gimmick
A gimmick is a novel device or idea designed primarily to attract attention or increase appeal, often with little intrinsic value. When applied to retail marketing, it is a unique or quirky feature designed to make a product or service "stand ou ...
of , a lighter version of the popular Toryumon wrestler Cima, who was a part of the Mini Crazy Max
stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...
feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one part ...
with
babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to:
Nicknames
* Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber
* Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician
* "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...
faction Sailor Boys (
Taiji Ishimori
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he wrestles as part of the Bullet Club. He is the current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion in his third reign, and is also a one-time NEVER Openweight ...
, Kei Sato and Shu Sato), having several matches against them, sometimes accompanied by senior members of the actual Crazy Max.
In December 2003, Mini Cima and his team competed in the ''Young Dragons Cup 2003'' scramble match, but none of them grabbed the prize, being
Takeshi Minamino
, (born December 24, 1985) better known by the ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler. He wrestles in Michinoku Pro Wrestling and All Japan Pro Wrestling.
Professional wrestling career Toryumon (2002-2004)
Yamamoto made his pro wrestling ...
the eventual tournament winner. They would be more successful at the ''Yamaha Cup 2004'' tag team tournament, with Mini Cima and Suwacito defeating Manabu Murakami and
Naoki Tanizaki
is a Japanese wrestler. He is known for his work in Dragon Gate. He previously went under the ring name .
Professional wrestling career
Toryumon Mexico / Toryumon X / Toryumon / Dragon Gate (2002–2006)
Originally from the Toryumon X pr ...
in the first round and the Sailor Boys in the second to crown themselves as winners. On September 9, 2003 the group competed in an elimination match for the
UWA World Welterweight Championship
The UWA World Welterweight Championship is a championship in professional wrestling that is primarily contested for in various Lucha Libre promotions in Mexico. In 1993, the championship was recognized by the Japanese professional wrestling promoti ...
, eliminating the team of Los Carros Exóticos (Gallardo, Lambo Miura and Murcielago) before falling short to Los Salseros Japoneses (Minamino, Pineapple Hanai and
Mango Fukuda
(born June 27, 1982) is a Japanese professional wrestler. He currently wrestles as a freelancer in the Japanese independent circuit and as a regular in Secret Base.
Professional wrestling career
Toryumon (2003–2004)
A Último Dragón Gym g ...
). This was the Toryumon X final event, with the promotion folding shortly after. Mini Crazy Max had its last reunion in the special event Dragon Fire The Final Challenge on October 14, where they competed in another special challenge match.
Hustle (2004–2006)
In September 2004, although still based on Toryumon, Sugi and his partners started wrestling for the Hustle promotion. They appeared as the Hustle Kamen Rangers, a ''
Power Rangers
''Power Rangers'' is an entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live-action superhero television series, based on the Japanese tokusatsu franchise ''Super Sentai''. Produced first by Saban Entertainment, second by BVS Entert ...
''-inspired
super sentai
is a Japanese superhero team metaseries and media franchise consisting of television series and films produced by Toei Company, and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi ("Sentai" is the Japanese word for "task force" or "fighting squadron"). The sho ...
stable that worked as a special division of the Hustle Army led by top babyface Naoya Ogawa. Sugi himself played (a role formerly played by
Masaki Okimoto
(born May 21, 1982) is a Japanese professional wrestler from Neyagawa, Japan; he's a current member of the Michinoku Pro Wrestling roster as Rasse. He mainly uses a high-flying style.
Career
Toryumon (2002-2004)
A former highschool amateur w ...
), and teamed up with Hustle Kamen Blue and Hustle Kamen Yellow as a power trio. They competed in the undercard of events against villainous characters from the
heel
The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower Human leg, leg.
Structure
To distribute the compressive for ...
tokusatsu
is a Japanese term for live action film or television drama that makes heavy use of practical special effects. ''Tokusatsu'' entertainment mainly refers to science fiction, War film, war, fantasy, or Horror film, horror media featuring such te ...
series ''Phantom Star God Justirisers'', only brainwashed to serve the Monster Army. In order to counter him, Hustle Kamen Rangers introduced another character from said series, Liosazer, who helped them to defeat the heel stable at the Hustlemania 2005 event and turn Riser again to good. The rangers would still competing for Hustle, being later opposed by an
itako
, also known as or , are blind women who train to become spiritual mediums in Japan. Training involves severe ascetic practices, after which the woman is said to be able to communicate with Japanese Shinto spirits, ''kami'', and the spirits o ...
wrestler named Kyou Itako.
On February 10, 2006, the Monster Army introduced a cadre of evil clones of the Hustle Kamen Rangers, called the Monster Kamen Rangers. They consistently defeated Sugi and his team, forcing them to introduce a new member, Hustle Kamen Orange, in order to get the first win against the villains. The win was short-lived, however, as the Monster Kamen Rangers defeated them again, and this time they kidnapped Hustle Kamen Yellow in order to
brainwash
Brainwashing (also known as mind control, menticide, coercive persuasion, thought control, thought reform, and forced re-education) is the concept that the human mind can be altered or controlled by certain psychological techniques. Brainwashin ...
him. Now with Yellow as an enemy, Red and new member Hustle Kamen Green attempted to reason with him, but they were beaten when Yellow pinned Red. The storyline continued until Hustlemania 2006, where they finally managed to bring Yellow back and defeat the Monster Kamen Rangers for good. The team then announced they would travel to the stars in order to defend the peace and justice beyond Hustle, ceasing their appearances on the promotion.
Michinoku Pro Wrestling (2004–2009)
Sugi started wrestling for
Michinoku Pro Wrestling
(originally known as North Eastern Wrestling) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded by The Great Sasuke on October 1, 1992. It was the first independent wrestling promotion in Japan to not base its operations in Tokyo, but rather ...
(Michinoku Pro) in October 2004. He debuted during the ''Futaritabi Tag Team Tournament 2004'' under the gimmick of , a super sentai character similar to the one he played in Hustle. Teaming up with Michinoku Ranger Silver, Sugi got important victories over
Jinsei Shinzaki
Kensuke Shinzaki (新崎 健介 ''Shinzaki Kensuke'', born December 2, 1966) is a Japanese professional wrestler and professional wrestling executive, better known by his ring name, Jinsei Shinzaki (新崎 人生 ''Shinzaki Jinsei''). He is curre ...
and Shinjitsu Nohashi and Los Salseros Japoneses, but they did not win the league. They kept their gimmicks until December, when Sugi adopted the gimmick of , a masked Buddhist monk inspired on the youth of the historical
Minamoto no Yoshitsune
was a military commander of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura periods. During the Genpei War, he led a series of battles which toppled the Ise-Heishi branch of the Taira clan, helping his half-brother Yoritomo conso ...
. Shanao would come to the ring carrying a
katana
A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the ''tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge fa ...
and saying prayers, and drew popularity among the audience for his high-risk, aerial style of wrestling.
In 2005, Shanao joined forces with the Sailor Boys (now composed solely by Kei and Shu Sato) to participate in the ''Michinoku Trios League'', being unsuccessful. The final night of the tournament, from which they had been eliminated by points, Shanao teamed up with his master, The Tiger II, to defeat Kagetora and Shinjitsu Nohashi. The alliance with the Sailor Boys lasted until mid-year, when Shanao formed a tag team with Rasse. He also had a brief tenure in the ''Tetsujin Tournament'', but he was forced to forfeit most of his matches due to an injury. Shanao returned on September 10 in a losing effort to Takeshi Minamino, but he got his revenge the same night, defeating Minamino and Los Salseros Japoneses along with Kagetora, Gaina and
Hayato Fujita
Hayato Fujita (藤田 勇人 ''Fujita Hayato'', born September 20, 1986) is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Fujita "Jr." Hayato (フジタ"Jr"ハヤト). Despite his small stature and physique for a professional wr ...
.
Kagetora and he eventually kept their alliance and participated in the ''Futaritabi Tag Team Tournament 2005'', which they won after beating Los Salseros Japoneses again, but Kagetora suddenly turned
heel
The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower Human leg, leg.
Structure
To distribute the compressive for ...
and attacked Shanao, going to form the villainous stable Stoned. Now back with Rasse, Shanao and his partner had a shot for the
Tohoku Tag Team Championship
The is a professional wrestling tag team championship created and promoted by the Japanese professional wrestling promotion Michinoku Pro Wrestling.
There have been a total of 33 reigns shared between 25 different teams consisting of 33 indivi ...
held by
The Great Sasuke
, born July 18, 1969), is a Japanese professional wrestler, promoter and politician, currently wrestling for Michinoku Pro Wrestling (MPW) under the ring name . Aside from professional wrestling, he is also a former Iwate Prefectural Assembly l ...
and
Dick Togo
, better known by his ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler. Togo is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the Bullet Club stable, and its sub-group House of Torture.
Togo has spent the majority of ...
, but despite their effort, they were beaten. Days after, Shanao announced he was going to perform a
genpuku
is a Japanese coming-of-age ceremony which dates back to Japan's classical Nara Period (710–794 AD). /sup> This ceremony marked the transition from child to adult status and the assumption of adult responsibilities. The age of participat ...
ceremony in order to advance in his career, which was officiated by
Jinsei Shinzaki
Kensuke Shinzaki (新崎 健介 ''Shinzaki Kensuke'', born December 2, 1966) is a Japanese professional wrestler and professional wrestling executive, better known by his ring name, Jinsei Shinzaki (新崎 人生 ''Shinzaki Jinsei''). He is curre ...
. Shanao then changed his name to , openly showing his identity, and changed his outfit to a
samurai
were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
-like attire in purple, red and golden, product of a coproduction between M-Pro and
FromSoftware
FromSoftware, Inc. is a Japanese video game development and publishing company based in Tokyo. Founded by Naotoshi Zin in November 1986, the company developed business software before releasing their first video game, ''King's Field (video game) ...
to promote their videogame '' Yoshitsune Eiyuden Shura''. Yoshitsune had his first match teaming up with Shinzaki, who came out dressed as
Saitō Musashibō Benkei
, popularly known as simply Benkei, was a Japanese warrior monk (''sōhei'') who lived in the latter years of the Heian Period (794–1185) .html" ;"title="/sup>">/sup>. Benkei led a varied life, first becoming a monk, then a mountain ascetic, ...
, defeating Rasse and Garuda with his new Shura finishing maneuver.
The next year, Yoshitsune's fame granted him a title match for the
Tohoku Junior Heavyweight Championship
The is a professional wrestling championship contested in Michinoku Pro Wrestling, where it is the primary singles title, and is strictly for junior heavyweights. It was created on August 25, 2002, when Dick Togo defeated Tiger Mask in a round ...
against
Taka Michinoku
(born October 26, 1973), better known by his ring name (with his first name usually stylized in all capital letters), is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. Michinoku is known in North America for his work for the ...
, falling short in his challenge. Nonetheless, Yoshitsune allied with The Great Sasuke and the now babyface Los Salseros Japoneses to wage war against Stoned, exchanging wins with them. He performed a new title pursuit by taking part in a tournament for the Tohoku Tag Team Championship with
Rei
Rei or REI may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*Rei, a story arc of the anime ''Higurashi When They Cry''
*Rei, a shapeshifting godlike dragon in the Australian webcomic series ''Vainglorious''
*Rei I, II and III, episodes of ''Neon Genesis Eva ...
as his partner, losing to
Makoto Oishi
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for Dramatic Dream Team (DDT). Oishi started his career in Kaientai Dojo, where he became a Strongest-K Tag Team, Independent World Junior Heavyweight and UWA World Middleweight Champion, ...
and
Shiori Asahi
(born February 17, 1978) is a Japanese wrestler, currently working for Kaientai Dojo. He also appears sporadically for Big Japan Pro Wrestling and 666.
Championships and accomplishments
*Dramatic Dream Team
**DDT Extreme Championship (1 time)
...
; Yoshitsune took part in the 2006 edition of the ''Tetsujin Tournament'', but he had to relinquish it again due to an injury. Upon his recovering, Yoshitsune recruited Rasse to compete in the ''Futaritabi Tag Team Tournament 2006'', but success seemed to be away from him that year, as they were eliminated at the finals by Kei and Shu Sato.
In 2007, Yoshitsune qualified for the ''Fukumen World League'' by defeating Ken45º and Shinjitsu Nohashi in respective matches. During the tournament, he eliminated Shibaten first and legendary
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority shares ...
(NJPW) member
Jyushin Thunder Liger
, better known as and later , is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is the longest-tenured member of the NJPW roster, having wrestled for the company since h ...
second, but he eventually fell to Mexican representative
Atlantis
Atlantis ( grc, Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος, , island of Atlas (mythology), Atlas) is a fictional island mentioned in an allegory on the hubris of nations in Plato's works ''Timaeus (dialogue), Timaeus'' and ''Critias (dialogue), Critias'' ...
thanks to an intervention by Atlantis's cornerman
Olímpico
Joel Bernal Galicia (born December 6, 1965) is a Mexican ''Luchador'', or professional wrestler retired, better known under the ring name Olímpico. Olímpico is sometimes Anglicised as "Olympico", and means "Olympian" in Spanish. From his debut ...
. Ended the league, Yoshitsune returned to his alliance with the home army and joined The Great Sasuke for the ''Futaritabi Tag Team League''; although Sasuke and him eliminated the team of Rasse and Kagetora, an injury to Sasuke forced them to exit the tournament and allow their opponents to advance round. Stardom finally came to Yoshitsune on November, however, when he defeated
Osaka Pro Wrestling
Osaka Pro Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 1998 by Super Delfin. The promotion held a major flagship event called the Osaka Hurricane each year from 2003 to 2012 and also hosted the fourth edition of the Supe ...
representative Gaina in a match for the Tohoku Junior Heavyweight Championship. Yoshitsune then would open 2008 becoming a double champion, when Sasuke returned from his injury and joined him to defeat Rasse and Kagetora for the title.
Sugi retained his titles for most of 2008, beating challengers like Rasse, Takeshi Minamino, Shinji Nohashi and
Tigers Mask
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). He previously worked for Osaka Pro Wrestling under the ring name . His ring name and original wrestling attire were inspired by the Hanshin Tigers baseba ...
, as well as the team of
Mens Teioh
(born December 16, 1966) is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Men's Teioh (also written MEN's Teioh). The English translation of his ring name, Terry Boy, is a homage to American professional wrestler Terry Funk.
...
and Shinobu. However, he would get in a new feud when
Hayato Fujita
Hayato Fujita (藤田 勇人 ''Fujita Hayato'', born September 20, 1986) is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Fujita "Jr." Hayato (フジタ"Jr"ハヤト). Despite his small stature and physique for a professional wr ...
turned heel and formed the faction Kowloon with the remnants of Stoned. After months of warfare, Hayato challenged Sugi to a match for the Tohoku Junior Heavyweight title, and he won the bout and the championship in an upset. Only months after, Sasuke and Yoshitsune faced Kei and Shu Sato from Kowloon in a match to unify their tag team titles with the
UWA World Tag Team Championship
The UWA World Tag Team Championship is a tag team professional wrestling championship created by the Mexican Universal Wrestling Association (UWA) and defended there until the UWA closed in 1995. After the UWA's closing, the title was inactive un ...
, but they were defeated and lost the belts. Concluded his reigns, Yoshitsune announced his departure from Michinoku Pro and had his last match in March 2009.
Dragondoor and El Dorado Wrestling (2005–2007)
Along with most of his Toryumon class, Sugi joined the Dragondoor promotion in July 2005. He was introduced in a
vignette
Vignette may refer to:
* Vignette (entertainment), a sketch in a sketch comedy
* Vignette (graphic design), decorative designs in books (originally in the form of leaves and vines) to separate sections or chapters
* Vignette (literature), short, i ...
by top babyface Taiji Ishimori, who described him as a close ally carrying the genes of
Último Dragón
(born December 12, 1966) is a Japanese professional wrestler and actor, better known as . In addition to having trained in Japan, Asai learned to wrestle in the lucha libre style while working in Mexico. He is credited with popularizing the "Asa ...
. As such, Sugi appeared as , a character wearing a mask and suit patterned after Dragón, very much like the wrestler
Dragon Kid
is a Japanese people, Japanese professional wrestler currently working for Dragon Gate (wrestling), Dragon Gate as .
Nakamura initially broke into the wrestling business with Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling (FMW), but was not allowed to be a wre ...
from rival promotion Dragon Gate. In his first match, Little Dragon teamed up with Ishimori and the rest of his allies,
Kota Ibushi
is a Japanese professional wrestler and martial artist signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), but is currently inactive due to suffering a shoulder injury. In March 2021, he became the company's inaugural IWGP World Heavyweight Champion by ...
Shuji Kondo
is a Japanese professional wrestler. Prior to becoming a pro wrestler, he played rugby. After starting his career in Toryumon, Kondo eventually joined All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he became one of the promotion's top junior heavyweigh ...
Takuya Sugawara
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently wrestling for Pro Wrestling Zero1.
Career
Toryumon/Dragon Gate (2001–2004)
He debuted in the 9th term of Toryumon 2000 Project as Henry III Sugawara, an English prince character. He joined with a ...
). His next and last high level match in the short-lived promotion would be at the final event, fighting with Ishimori against Stoned ( Kei Sato and Shu Sato), being defeated after an intervention by Kagetora and Maguro Ooma. Dragondoor folded down shortly after.
When the promotion was reopened as El Dorado Wrestling in April 2006, Sugi returned with the rest of wrestlers. This time he took the gimmick of , a mysterious, bizarre
phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
-like character in a gold and blue armored outfit. Blazer formed a tag team with Milanito Collection a.t. and took part in the very first match of the promotion, getting a victory over Kei and Shu Sato. They also avenged their defeats to Aagan Iisou by beating them with Kota Ibushi's aid, and also took another victory over Stoned in a
Global Professional Wrestling Alliance
The Global Professional Wrestling Alliance (GPWA) was a cooperative group of professional wrestling promotions and wrestlers from around the world. Formed in 2006, the group was founded by the professional wrestler Mitsuharu Misawa, the founder ...
(GPWA) event along with
Jumping Kid Okimoto
(born May 21, 1982) is a Japanese professional wrestler from Neyagawa, Japan; he's a current member of the Michinoku Pro Wrestling roster as Rasse. He mainly uses a high-flying style.
Career
Toryumon (2002-2004)
A former highschool amateur w ...
. In December 2006, the trio split up to compete in the ''Treasure Hunters Tag Tournament 2006'', as Ibushi teamed up with Milano Collection A.T. while Blazer stayed in Milanito's side; Sugi and his ally were defeated, and Milano and Kota advanced round before being eliminated by Dick Togo and Shuji Kondo at the finals. Milanito and Blazer, however, won the reserve bout of the tournament, defeating the Sato brothers through an intervention of a now unaligned Kagetora. In Sugi's last match in the promotion, he teamed up with Milano and Milanito to defeat a Stoned cell aided by
Harashima
Harashima (stylised in all capital letters) (born July 6, 1974) is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in DDT Pro-Wrestling (formally Dramatic Dream Team), where he is a ten-time KO-D Openweight Champion and a curren ...
. Blazer then announced he was going freelance, and put an official end to his team with Milanito, leaving El Dorado.
All Japan Pro Wrestling (2006–2008)
On August 20, 2006, Sugi made his first apparition in
All Japan Pro Wrestling
(AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established on October 21, 1972 when Giant Baba split away from the Japanese Wrestling Association and created his own promotion. Many wrestlers had left with Baba, ...
(AJPW) playing the character of Ahii, the result of a cooperation between
Sanrio
is a Japanese entertainment company. It designs, licenses, and produces products focusing on the ''kawaii'' ("cute") segment of Japanese popular culture. Their products include stationery, school supplies, gifts, and accessories which are sold ...
and AJPW. He was introduced by
Keiji Mutoh
is a Japanese professional wrestler and professional wrestling executive currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah), where he is a former GHC Heavyweight Champion. He is best known for his work as in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Ne ...
, and revealed himself as a strange character wearing an orange and black full body suit that represented the Mexican
Habanero
The habanero (; ) is a hot variety of chili. Unripe habaneros are green, and they color as they mature. The most common color variants are orange and red, but the fruit may also be white, brown, yellow, green, or purple. Typically, a ripe hab ...
chili pepper. He made his first in-ring work the same night, entering after the main event to save Mutoh,
Masanobu Fuchi
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he is also a director and the co-head booker. Fuchi has exclusively worked for All Japan since his debut in 1974, and holds the record for the longest ...
and
Kaz Hayashi
is a Japanese professional wrestler known simply as . He is best known for his work in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where in addition to being a wrestler for the promotion, he also served as the head booker for the company's junior heavyweight ...
from an attack by the
Voodoo Murders
Voodoo-Murders (stylised in all capital letters), or more simply as VDM, is a professional wrestling stable and the main heel group in All Japan Pro Wrestling between 2005 and 2011. In 2013, the group was reformed in Diamond Ring. They perform ...
, and his official debut one day later, defeating VM member Voodoo Mask. Ahii remained as an ally to Mutoh and his babyface wrestlers against Voodoo Murders until November, when he got his own opponents in the form of
Mastodon
A mastodon ( 'breast' + 'tooth') is any proboscidean belonging to the extinct genus ''Mammut'' (family Mammutidae). Mastodons inhabited North and Central America during the late Miocene or late Pliocene up to their extinction at the end of th ...
and Tow Van John, two personal enemies of his. Their enmity would be resolved on February 17, 2007, when Ahii defeated them both in a handicap match with the aid of his storyline brother, a green version of Ahii (played by
Masaki Okimoto
(born May 21, 1982) is a Japanese professional wrestler from Neyagawa, Japan; he's a current member of the Michinoku Pro Wrestling roster as Rasse. He mainly uses a high-flying style.
Career
Toryumon (2002-2004)
A former highschool amateur w ...
).
Sugi returned to AJPW on February 15, 2008 for a special event copromoted with
Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother.
K ...
. He played the one night gimmick of , a character wearing a
rabbit
Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...
mask and a black playboy jacket. In his only apparition, Rabbit Boy defeated Giant Jet.
On December 23, Sugi made his last apparition for AJPW for another one night character, this time as part of AJPW's usual copromotions with A Bathing Ape. Sugi portrayed Super Milo, a
monkey
Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as the simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes, which constitutes an incomple ...
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
wearing in green and yellow, and teamed up with Teriyaki Boy to defeat Ebessan III and
Kuishinbo Kamen
is a Japanese professional wrestler better known as , a masked clown character. Kuishinbo Kamen is Japanese for "Gluttonous Mask". For a while he was forced to give up the Kuishinbo Kamen character, instead he worked as "Super Robo K", a futuri ...
in a comedy match.
Independent circuit (2006–2009)
He also appeared as Yoshitsune in some shows of Big Mouth LOUD and several others Japanese independent promotions, including the
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority shares ...
LOCK UP sub-brand.
Sugi continued using the El Blazer gimmick as his main freelancing character. El Blazer then turned to a comedic character prone to mysteriously faint at his entrance, and had an appearance in
Dramatic Dream Team
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Its name stands for Dramatic Dream Team, which was the promotion's official name from 1997 to 2004. Founded in March 1997 by Shintaro Muto, the promotion was eventually bo ...
(DDT)'s brand ''Cruiser's Game'' wrestling against
Mikami is a Japanese name.
Place Name
* Mount Mikami, a mountain in Yasu City, Shiga Prefecture, Japan
* Mikami Shrine, a temple at the foot of Mount Mikami
Surname
Notable people with the surname include:
*Kyohei Mikami, Japanese wrestler
* Masat ...
after (
kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe, as a noun, is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically the portrayal of competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants as being genuine and not staged. ...
) having been smoking
marijuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...
.
Soon after becoming a freelancer, Sugi continued appearing randomly in several Japanese promotions as El Blazer, including IGF.
Starting from June 3, 2007, Sugi appeared in
Kensuke Office
Diamond Ring was an independent Japanese professional wrestling promotion that, until 2012, was known as Kensuke Office. The promotion was founded and owned by puroresu legend Kensuke Sasaki, who has owned and operated it since its creation in 20 ...
as Namazu Man (なまずマン, "Catfish Man"), but shortly after, Namazu Man started to be played by other wrestlers.
Another gimmick he used in 2007 is UWAI # 32, a robot character only used in UWAI Station.
On December 29, 2008, Sugi appeared in an Akiba Pro Wrestling event as El Fuerte (エル・フォルテ), a character inspired from the
Street Fighter
, commonly abbreviated as ''SF'' or スト (''Suto''), is a Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting video and arcade games developed and published by Capcom. The first game in the series was released in 1987, followed by six ...
video game saga.
Pro Wrestling Zero1 (2007–2009)
Sugi started wrestling for
Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max
(stylized as Pro Wrestling ZERO1), formerly known as Pro Wrestling Zero-One and Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max (stylised in all capital letters) and often referred to simply as Zero1, is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 2001. ...
(Zero1-Max) in May 2007 under his El Blazer character. After an unsuccessful battle royal match for the
AWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
The International Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling Championship (professional wrestling), title in Japanese Professional wrestling promotion, promotion Pro Wrestling Zero1 (formerly Pro Wrestling Zero-One and Pro Wrestl ...
, which was won by
Dick Togo
, better known by his ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler. Togo is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the Bullet Club stable, and its sub-group House of Torture.
Togo has spent the majority of ...
, Blazer aligned himself under
Masato Tanaka
is a Japanese professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) in Japan where he was a one-time FMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Champion and a one-time WEW World Heavyweight Champion and in Ext ...
's Sword Army, getting in battles against
Takao Omori
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he is a one-time Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion and seven-time World Tag Team Champion. He is also part of the All Japan Board of Directors. He ...
Masaaki Mochizuki
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for Dragon Gate and Pro Wrestling Noah. Mochizuki is a former FIP World Champion and three-time Open the Dream Gate Champion.
Professional wrestling career
Early years
A former karateka ...
, but he was unsuccessful. Mochizuki offered him to team up and invited him to his promotion.
For most of his tenure in the company, however, Sugi ditched his Blazer identity and played a new character, The☆ZEST, sponsored by the homonymous Japanese
pachinko
is a mechanical game originating in Japan that is used as an arcade game, and much more frequently for gambling. Pachinko fills a niche in Japanese gambling comparable to that of the slot machine in the West as a form of low-stakes, low-st ...
company. The gimmick had been played before by wrestler Kamikaze, and would be later played by him again. On July 24, Zest won the WWA Junior Lightweight Championship by beating Osamu Namiguchi, and retained it until April 6, when Sugi relinquished both the character and the title in order to adopt yet a new gimmick, Noiz, sponsored by rock band UchuSentai:Noiz. Now as Noiz, Sugi defeated Kamikaze as Zest and won again the championship. NOIZ also inherited Blazer's loyalty to Masato Tanaka, wrestling for him occasionally, and retained the title before Osamu Namiguchi before vacating him upon his departure from Zero1.
Dragon Gate (2008)
Blazer originally debuted in Dragon Gate in March 2008 as a Zero1 representative, but he was in storyline recognized by
Kenichiro Arai
is a Japanese wrestler for Dragon Gate.
Biography
Kenichiro Arai, also known as AraKen, is a second term graduate of Último Dragón's Toryumon Japan group, and has been a mainstay on the roster ever since. He participated in FMW before joinin ...
as a Toryumon graduate. Blazer's first match was a special tag team with fellow high-flyer Pac against Tozawa-juku (Arai and
Taku Iwasa
Taku Iwasa (born November 15, 1977) is a Japanese professional wrestler best known for his work in Dragon Gate.
Career
Early
Iwasa graduated as part of the Toryumon T2P class. He initially portrayed ''Takamichi Iwasa'', a Satanic character. ...
), which he lost, but he also aided New Hazard (
BxB Hulk
, better known by his ring name BxB Hulk stylized as ( ), is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for Dragon Gate. He was also known for his longstanding rivalry with Shingo Takagi.
Professional wrestling career
He was the seco ...
Muscle Outlaw'z
Muscle Outlaw'z, or MO'z for short, was a professional wrestling stable in the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate, formed on April 23, 2006. It was founded by former Blood Generation members Naruki Doi, Masato Yoshino, Naoki Tanisaki, and Gamma, int ...
. In April, Blazer took part in a tournament for the
Open the Brave Gate Championship
The Open the Brave Gate Championship is a professional wrestling title in Japanese promotion Dragon Gate; it has a weight limit of , though it has been defended against heavier wrestlers in the past. It can be considered the secondary singles t ...
, eliminating
Genki Horiguchi
is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by the ring name . He is currently a full-time wrestler for Dragon Gate. He has also competed in Wrestling Society X and Ring of Honor.
When Horiguchi's hairline began receding, the fans began t ...
but being eliminated himself by
Gamma
Gamma (uppercase , lowercase ; ''gámma'') is the third letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 3. In Ancient Greek, the letter gamma represented a voiced velar stop . In Modern Greek, this letter re ...
following outside interference. After his unsuccessful feud with Muscle Outlaw'z, Blazer concluded his tenure in Dragon Gate forming an alliance with fellow outsiders
Takeshi Minamino
, (born December 24, 1985) better known by the ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler. He wrestles in Michinoku Pro Wrestling and All Japan Pro Wrestling.
Professional wrestling career Toryumon (2002-2004)
Yamamoto made his pro wrestling ...
Hayato Fujita
Hayato Fujita (藤田 勇人 ''Fujita Hayato'', born September 20, 1986) is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Fujita "Jr." Hayato (フジタ"Jr"ハヤト). Despite his small stature and physique for a professional wr ...
,
Munenori Sawa
is a Japanese retired professional wrestler. Sawa was trained by and spent his entire career in the Battlarts promotion, adopting the promotion's "Bati Bati" wrestling style, known for its stiff strikes and submission-based shoot wrestling, but ...
and Yuta Yoshikawa in Mochizuki Buyuden and WORLD-1 ( mcKZ &
Naoki Tanizaki
is a Japanese wrestler. He is known for his work in Dragon Gate. He previously went under the ring name .
Professional wrestling career
Toryumon Mexico / Toryumon X / Toryumon / Dragon Gate (2002–2006)
Originally from the Toryumon X pr ...
) & Super Shenlong in Dragon Gate NEX.
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (2008)
Sugi made his
America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
n debut (as El Blazer) for
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. It is owned and operated by wrestlers themselves, having been created by Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super Drago ...
(PWG) on May 17, 2008. Replacing
Kota Ibushi
is a Japanese professional wrestler and martial artist signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), but is currently inactive due to suffering a shoulder injury. In March 2021, he became the company's inaugural IWGP World Heavyweight Champion by ...
, he teamed with Kagetora on PWG's second annual ''DDT4'' tournament, defeating
Scott Lost
Scott Epperson (born June 8, 1980), better known by the ring name Scott Lost, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his work with Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, which he founded with five other wrestlers and where he is a for ...
and Joey Ryan in the first round, but losing to the
PWG World Tag Team Champions
The PWG World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned and copyrighted by the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) promotion; it is contested for in their tag team division. The championship was created and d ...
Kevin Steen and El Generico
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were a Canadian professional wrestling tag team. Prior to signing with WWE, El Generico and Kevin Steen teamed in Ring of Honor (ROH) and across the independent circuit, nicknamed "Steenerico" by fans.
History Ring ...
in a title match in the next.
Lucha Libre AAA World Wide (2009–2012)
Sugi signed up with
Lucha Libre AAA World Wide
Antonio Peña Promotions, S.A. de C.V. d/b/a Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide is a Mexican Lucha Libre (professional wrestling) promotion based in Mexico City, Mexico. Commonly referred to as simply AAA (pronounced "triple A"; an abbreviation of its or ...
(AAA) in 2009 and made his return to México, now under a modified, black and red version of his Yoshitsune outfit and the name of Sugi San (his last name followed by the Japanese honorific -san). He was introduced by
Kenzo Suzuki
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is perhaps best known for his appearances with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and in the United States with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he was a one-time WWE Tag Team Champion in the lat ...
as a part of his
rudo
Rudo ( sr-cyrl, Рудо) is a town and municipality located in Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a population of 7,963 inhabitants, while the town of Rudo has a population of 1,949 inhabitants.
It is f ...
stable La Yakuza, thus clearly turning heel for the first time in Sugi's his career. The faction, which also included
El Oriental
Noé Astro Moreno León (born December 6, 1972) is a Mexican ''Luchador'' known under the ring name El Oriental, currently works for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) but is mainly known for his almost 10-year-long stint in Asistencia Asesorí ...
, amassed a number of tag team wins until a match in
Verano de Escándalo
Verano de Escándalo (Spanish Language, Spanish for "Summer of Scandal") is a major annual professional wrestling event in Mexico promoted by the Lucha Libre AAA World Wide (AAA) promotion. The show is as the name indicates a summer show, traditi ...
where they fell to
The Psycho Circus
Los Psycho Circus is a '' Lucha libre'', or professional wrestling, trio who worked for the Mexico City based Lucha Libre AAA World Wide (AAA) as a '' tecnico'' (good guy) team. The trio consists of three '' enmascarado'', or masked, wrestlers kn ...
. On August 30, Sugi competed individually in a
Steel Cage Match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
where the last wrestler would be fired; Sugi escaped safely, but he injured his knee upon doing a theatrical backflip from the cage to the floor.
A month later, with La Yakuza dissolved and now unaligned, Sugi competed in a Five Way Ladder Match for the
AAA World Cruiserweight Championship
The AAA World Cruiserweight Championship (Campeonato Mundial Crucero AAA in Spanish) is a professional wrestling championship contested for in the Mexican lucha libre promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). The championship cannot be competed ...
along with
Extreme Tiger
Tigre Uno (born April 4, 1981) is a Mexican professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is a one-time X Division Champion. Outside of the United States he is best known for his work in Luch ...
Rocky Romero
John R. Rivera (born October 28, 1982) is a Puerto Rican-American professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is currently signed non-exclusively to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), better known by his ring name Rocky Romero (ロッ ...
and
Teddy Hart
Edward Ellsworth Annis (born February 2, 1980) is a Canadian-American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Teddy Hart. He currently wrestles on the independent circuit. He wrestled on a National scale for Major League Wrestling ...
, but he would be (kayfabe) injured by a piledriver by Hart and had to be stretchered out while Tiger won the title. After his return from the injury, Sugi took part in the ''Torneo Alas de Oro 2009'', leaving in second place along with
Billy Boy
"Billy Boy" is a traditional folk song and nursery rhyme found in the United States, in which "Billy Boy" is asked various questions, and the answers all center on his quest to marry a girl who is said to be too young to leave her mother.
It has ...
. On October 9, Suzuki gathered La Yakuza again with
Go Shiozaki
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to the Pro Wrestling Noah promotion where he is the former GHC Heavyweight Champion in a record breaking fifth reign. He made his debut for the promotion in July 2004 and remained with it unti ...
replacing El Oriental to face Los Wagner Maniacos (
Dr. Wagner Jr.
Juan Manuel González Barrón (born August 12, 1965) is a Mexican ''luchador'' (Spanish for "professional wrestler") who is best known under the ring name Dr. Wagner Jr., having used that name since 1987. He is the son of Manuel González Rivera ...
,
Electroshock
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a psychiatric treatment where a generalized seizure (without muscular convulsions) is electrically induced to manage refractory mental disorders.Rudorfer, MV, Henry, ME, Sackeim, HA (2003)"Electroconvulsive the ...
&
Último Gladiador
Gerardo Campos Poza (born March 28, 1978), better known under his ring name Último Gladiador (Spanish for "Last Gladiator") is a Mexican ''Luchador'' '' enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestler. Campos currently works for the Mexican prof ...
), but they were defeated. Afterwards, Sugi announced his return to Japan, leaving AAA.
After a year of hiatus, Sugi would compete in
Pro Wrestling Noah
(stylised as Pro Wrestling NOAH) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2000 by former All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) ace Mitsuharu Misawa after he had led a mass exodus in which 24 of AJPW's 26 contracted wrestlers left the ...
(Noah) as an AAA representative, now under the name of Sugi (in all caps), getting in a feud with Ronin and
Taiji Ishimori
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he wrestles as part of the Bullet Club. He is the current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion in his third reign, and is also a one-time NEVER Openweight ...
. He returned to México along with Ronin, having some touring matches against him, and finally coming back to TV as an unofficial member of
Aero Star
Aero Star (real name unrevealed; born October 22, 1984) is a Mexican luchador, which is a masked professional wrestler currently signed to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). Aero Star won the 2008 '' Alas de Oro'' tournament and is known for his h ...
's stable
Real Fuerza Aerea
Real may refer to:
Currencies
* Brazilian real (R$)
* Central American Republic real
* Mexican real
* Portuguese real
* Spanish real
* Spanish colonial real
Music Albums
* ''Real'' (L'Arc-en-Ciel album) (2000)
* ''Real'' (Bright album) (20 ...
. On June 28, Sugi and Ronin were sent to
Paris, France
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
in order to represent
puroresu
is the predominant style of professional wrestling that has developed in Japan. The term comes from the Japanese pronunciation of , which is shortened to puroresu. The term became popular among English-speaking fans due to Hisaharu Tanabe's act ...
in the Japan Expo 12th Impact, returning to México on July 5.
On July 9, 2012, Sugi held a press conference to announce his involvement in a conspiracy that had gotten
Kazushige Nosawa
, better known by his ring names Nosawa and , (born December 17, 1976) is a Japanese freelance professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in All Japan Pro Wrestling and various independent promotions.
Career Early career (19952004)
Nos ...
and
Io Shirai
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Iyo Sky (stylized in all caps). She is a member of Damage CTRL and one-half of the current WWE Women's Tag Team Champions ...
arrested for marijuana possession and smuggling. According to Sugi, Masahiro Hayashi, who worked as a liaison between AAA and Japan and had a personal grudge with Nosawa, promised him a contract extension with AAA in exchange for him planting the drugs on the couple.
Return to Michinoku Pro Wrestling (2016)
Following the drug smuggling scandal, Sugi remained inactive for more than four years, with the exception of a single match held on November 18, 2015, when he faced
Takeshi Minamino
, (born December 24, 1985) better known by the ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler. He wrestles in Michinoku Pro Wrestling and All Japan Pro Wrestling.
Professional wrestling career Toryumon (2002-2004)
Yamamoto made his pro wrestling ...
in an event held at
Shinjuku Face
is an event hall located on the 7th floor of the Humax Pavilion Shinjuku complex, 1-20-1 Kabukicho, Tokyo, Japan. It mainly hosts mixed martial arts, boxing and professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolv ...
to celebrate the 10th anniversary since his debut.
After this long hiatus, Sugi returned to the ring for a charity event held on August 28, 2016, in support of the population hit by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake. Shortly thereafter, on September 16, he competed in a Michinoku Pro event for the first time in seven years, entering the 2016 Fukumen World League. He defeated Leprechaun and Eisa8, but was eliminated by Carístico at the semi-finals.
Return to Zero1 (2017–2021)
After a few appearances in Pro Wrestling Land's End (Land's End) in 2017, Sugi returned to
Pro Wrestling Zero1
(stylized as Pro Wrestling ZERO1), formerly known as Pro Wrestling Zero-One and Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max (stylised in all capital letters) and often referred to simply as Zero1, is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 2001. I ...
(Zero1) in August. He challenged unsuccessfully
Kotaro Suzuki
is a Japanese professional wrestler better known by the ring name . He is currently working as a freelancer, mainly for promotion Pro Wrestling Noah.
Career
Pro Wrestling Noah (2001-2013)
Suzuki was the last person remaining of a grueling th ...
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
The NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Created in 1945, the title is competed for by junior heavyweight wrestlers.
History
The first NWA World Junior ...
s, after which he declared he would challenge
Ikuto Hidaka
(born August 5, 1972) is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently performing for Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah). Hidaka was the regular partner of Minoru Fujita, with whom he has held the Zero1-Max International Lightweight Tag Team and Intercont ...
and
Takuya Sugawara
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently wrestling for Pro Wrestling Zero1.
Career
Toryumon/Dragon Gate (2001–2004)
He debuted in the 9th term of Toryumon 2000 Project as Henry III Sugawara, an English prince character. He joined with a ...
for the
NWA International Lightweight Tag Team Championship
The International Lightweight Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team title in Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling Zero1, contested exclusively among junior heavyweight (<)
with an unknown partner, who would be revealed to be Psycho. Sugi and him defeated Hidaka and Sugawara in a non-title match, but failed at taking the titles. Sugi replaced Psycho by Sean Guinness for the ''Furinkazan Tag Tournament 2017'', only to be eliminated in the first round by Hidaka and Sugawara again. He spent the next weeks teaming with several wrestlers against his old enemy faction
Voodoo Murders
Voodoo-Murders (stylised in all capital letters), or more simply as VDM, is a professional wrestling stable and the main heel group in All Japan Pro Wrestling between 2005 and 2011. In 2013, the group was reformed in Diamond Ring. They perform ...
, until he announced
Masamune
, was a medieval Japanese blacksmith widely acclaimed as Japan's greatest swordsmith. He created swords and daggers, known in Japanese as ''tachi'' and ''tantō'', in the ''Sōshū'' school. However, many of his forged ''tachi'' were made into ...
as his next tag team partner in his quest for the tag titles. On January 1, 2018, Sugi officially joined Zero1, and the same day, he and Masamune won the NWA International Lightweight Tag Team Championship from Sugawara and Hidaka.
Their reign ended in June, when Sugi and Masamune lost the titles to the new team of Ikuto Hidaka and Fuminori Abe. The same month, Sugi joined
Kohei Sato
is a Japanese professional wrestler contracted with Pro Wrestling Zero1. Sato is also a former mixed martial artist.
Career
A former judoka and amateur wrestler, Sato made his transition to mixed martial arts after meeting Kazunari Murakami and ...
and challenged
Masato Tanaka
is a Japanese professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) in Japan where he was a one-time FMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Champion and a one-time WEW World Heavyweight Champion and in Ext ...
and
Yuji Hino
, better known by the ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed by Pro Wrestling Zero1 (Zero1). One of the most well-travelled heavyweights in Japan, Hino was trained by Taka Michinoku and made his debut for his Kaientai ...
for the
NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship
The Intercontinental Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team title in Japanese promoting Pro Wrestling Zero1, typically reserved for (but not exclusive to) heavyweight (>) wrestlers. It was created on June 14, 2001, three month ...
, but they were defeated. He followed with a significantly successful tenure in the ''Fire Festival 2018'', scoring wins over Hino,
Shinjiro Otani
is a semi-retired Japanese professional wrestler and the current acting president of Pro Wrestling Zero1 (Zero1). He is currently inactive from pro-wrestling competition due to a cervical spine injury substained in April 2022. A product of the ...
and
Hiroshi Yamato
, better known by his ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently works as a freelancer. Trained by the All Japan Pro Wrestling promotion, he started his career in February 2007 working in Mexico for the International Wrestling ...
, though victory escaped his grasp again. In November, Sugi would prove better in the short ''Tenka-Ichi Junior Tournament 2018'' for the vacated International Junior Heavyweight Championship and
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
The NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Created in 1945, the title is competed for by junior heavyweight wrestlers.
History
The first NWA World Junior ...
, winning the tournament and the titles after beating
Tatsuhito Takaiwa
(born Go Yong-Il (Hangul: 고 용일), July 5, 1972) is a Zainichi-Korean professional wrestler. Takaiwa is one of the more well-traveled junior heavyweights in Japan, having wrestled for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and Pro Wrestling Zero1, ...
, Asuka and Hayata. Now as a champion, he resumed his team Kohei Sato to compete in the ''Furinkazan Tag Tournament 2018'', where they also won by defeating Chris Vice and
Shogun Okamoto
, officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakura ...
at the finals.
Sugi invested early 2019 in further championship pursuings. He retained his singles titles against Ikuto Hidaka, Shoki Kitamura and
Tatsuhito Takaiwa
(born Go Yong-Il (Hangul: 고 용일), July 5, 1972) is a Zainichi-Korean professional wrestler. Takaiwa is one of the more well-traveled junior heavyweights in Japan, having wrestled for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and Pro Wrestling Zero1, ...
. However, tag team titles remained away from him, with two failed challenges for the NWA International Lightweight Tag Team Championships and NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championships teaming up with Hagane Shinnou and usual partner Sato respectively. In July, he participated in the ''Fire Festival 2019'', where he gained victories over Yuya Aoki, Asuka and Super Tiger II, but he was unable to win the tournament after a double countout with
Yuji Hino
, better known by the ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed by Pro Wrestling Zero1 (Zero1). One of the most well-travelled heavyweights in Japan, Hino was trained by Taka Michinoku and made his debut for his Kaientai ...
. He looked to improve his odds in the ''Tenka-Ichi Junior Tournament 2019'', reaching the finals over Raicho and Sean Guiness, but being shockingly eliminated by Hub. This streak continued in the ''Furinkazan Tag Tournament 2019'', where Sugi and Dragon Gate representative
Kenichiro Arai
is a Japanese wrestler for Dragon Gate.
Biography
Kenichiro Arai, also known as AraKen, is a second term graduate of Último Dragón's Toryumon Japan group, and has been a mainstay on the roster ever since. He participated in FMW before joinin ...
were defeated by
Shuji Kondo
is a Japanese professional wrestler. Prior to becoming a pro wrestler, he played rugby. After starting his career in Toryumon, Kondo eventually joined All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he became one of the promotion's top junior heavyweigh ...
and Takuya Sugawara in a match of former Toryumon wrestlers.
In January 2020, Sugi lost his championships to Hub and was eliminated from the ''Tenka-Ichi 2020'' by Raicho, but he bounced back by allying with the latter and defeating the former and Billy Ken Kid for the promotion's tag team titles. Beginning 2021, Sugi ended his exclusive participation with Zero1 and became a freelancer again.
Championships and accomplishments
*
All Japan Pro Wrestling
(AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established on October 21, 1972 when Giant Baba split away from the Japanese Wrestling Association and created his own promotion. Many wrestlers had left with Baba, ...
Michinoku Pro Wrestling
(originally known as North Eastern Wrestling) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded by The Great Sasuke on October 1, 1992. It was the first independent wrestling promotion in Japan to not base its operations in Tokyo, but rather ...
**
Tohoku Junior Heavyweight Championship
The is a professional wrestling championship contested in Michinoku Pro Wrestling, where it is the primary singles title, and is strictly for junior heavyweights. It was created on August 25, 2002, when Dick Togo defeated Tiger Mask in a round ...
Tohoku Tag Team Championship
The is a professional wrestling tag team championship created and promoted by the Japanese professional wrestling promotion Michinoku Pro Wrestling.
There have been a total of 33 reigns shared between 25 different teams consisting of 33 indivi ...
Great Sasuke
, born July 18, 1969), is a Japanese professional wrestler, promoter and politician, currently wrestling for Michinoku Pro Wrestling (MPW) under the ring name . Aside from professional wrestling, he is also a former Iwate Prefectural Assembly ...
**Fukumen World League Qualifying Tournament (2007)
**Futaritabi Tag Team League (2005) – with Kagetora
**M-12 Battle Royal (2006) with Kagetora
*
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publish ...
**Ranked No. 346 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the
PWI 500
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishi ...
in 2022
*
Pro Wrestling Zero1
(stylized as Pro Wrestling ZERO1), formerly known as Pro Wrestling Zero-One and Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max (stylised in all capital letters) and often referred to simply as Zero1, is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 2001. I ...
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
The NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Created in 1945, the title is competed for by junior heavyweight wrestlers.
History
The first NWA World Junior ...
NWA International Lightweight Tag Team Championship
The International Lightweight Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team title in Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling Zero1, contested exclusively among junior heavyweight (<)
(
2 times
"2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside ...
) – with
Masamune
, was a medieval Japanese blacksmith widely acclaimed as Japan's greatest swordsmith. He created swords and daggers, known in Japanese as ''tachi'' and ''tantō'', in the ''Sōshū'' school. However, many of his forged ''tachi'' were made into ...
2 times
"2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside ...
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
) – with
Kohei Sato
is a Japanese professional wrestler contracted with Pro Wrestling Zero1. Sato is also a former mixed martial artist.
Career
A former judoka and amateur wrestler, Sato made his transition to mixed martial arts after meeting Kazunari Murakami and ...
* Toryumon X
**Yamaha Cup Tag Tournament (2004) – with SUWAcito
*Valerie Office
**Copa El Jefe (2012) – with Argos